Dear Lagunitas...

Are there any craft breweries with national brands like Stone, Sierra Nevada, Lagunitis that are know for a variety of styles. As this thread has pointed out those national brands are backing away from different styles. Yes, there are some large single style breweries like Chimay, Hoegaarden, etc. but none with a large variety of styles. As someone mentioned the variety comes from the small local breweries now. This is the split in the beer market I am trying to get at, admittedly I am not a great writer.

 

Bells comes to mind first in that category. Founders too. But outside of that it does seem like the national.brands are leaning into hops very fully

 

While I agree in theory to bridging that gap via local breweries, the issue I’m often finding ,as sometimes mentioned, is $$$. It’s hard to justify paying $14-$18 for a 4 pack of pils or helles when tried and trues like SN, Von Trapp and Jack’s Abbey charge $9.99 for a sixer (for 6 pounders in JA’s case). Especially when I can count on consistent quality, whereas with smaller or local breweries, I’m about 50-50 in terms of reasonably well made styles outside of haze, pastry, kettle sour.

 

I really wish that Genesee would rebrew their German Pilsner. I thought that beer was excellent.



https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/new-beer-sunday-week-593.431995/#post-4877647

Cheers!

 

That beer was FANTASTIC!!! I remember getting growlers of that beer when it was first brewed on the pilot system. One time my cousin was in town and I told him it was one of the best American brewed German pils I’ve had. Coincidentally he had just returned on a trip from Pittsburgh and was telling me to temper my praise because he just drank at the Hofbrau Haus there. His eyes lit up on his first sip and he told me the accolades were just. When this pandemic is over, I gotta holler at Dean and tell him to get on this beer again.

 

Not a fan of West Coast IPAs, but I can understand people liking Lagunitas, if you are a fan of WCIPAs. Which is pretty much all they make now. Willettized Coffee Stout is solid, but it's not great. Other breweries' barrel-aged coffee Stouts and Porters are much better. These days, they seem to be very similar to Stone. Also, I don't really understand ANY breweries that make nothing but IPAs, even though I like NEIPAs. IMO, a good brewery is a brewery that makes various styles of beer and makes them well.

 

I am pretty sure that Dean is fully aware of how 'worthy' the German Pilsner is. My guess is that the 'bean counters' nixed the rebrewing of this beer.

Cheers!

 

What is you abridged list of better ba coffee stouts?

And I understand non-west coasters views on all IPA breweries. But you have to realize that hops are a religion out here (much like weed) and so the concept of a brewery that focuses so heavily on hops is not alien and doesn't feel gimmicky (even as many of us recognize that it's not balanced)

 

Founders CBS, KBS and the variants, Jack's Abby Barrel-Aged Coffee Framinghammer, Sixpoint 4 and 5BEANS, Ballast Point High West Barrel-Aged Victory At Sea, Funky Buddha Morning Wood, various Evil Twin, Prairie and Clown Shoes beers, Triple C Bourbon Barrel-Aged Up All Night, Heavy Seas Blackbeard's Breakfast and Avery Tweak.

 

Hmmm I only have access to the founders brands and I would take willetized any day, over both KBS and CBS. I did really like high west VaS but haven't seen it in years (don't think its produced anymore) but would love to be able to do a side by side.

We do get prairie options too, but they are quite expensive and I've only felt they were worth it about half the time. Do they have a bba coffee stout? I'd grab a single.for a side by side

 

They have several. Not sure which ones you'll be able to find.

Barrel-Aged Birthday Bomb!, Barrel-Aged Peanut Butter Bomb!, Barrel-Aged Bomb!, Barrel-Aged Christmas Bomb!, Barrel-Aged Bible Belt, Pirate Bomb! and Coffee Noir. Mocha Noir is the latest release. You should be able to find it.

 

None of the bomb offerings are just coffee shouts, they have lots of other flavorings added. But I'll see what I can find

 

Sure is, The Total wine closest to me has HiWest VAS for $14.99 a four pack. Never had it but I really like VAS.

Enjoy

 

Neither are KBS, CBS or VaS. So, if other ingredients are added to a Stout that contains coffee, it's no longer a coffee stout?

 

Its different than just a ba coffer stout. It would still be a stout with coffee.

"BOMB! is a way better coffee stout than willetized, it just has this.chocolate flavor and light chili heat that willetized is missing. Lagunitas needs to step it up!"

KBS and CBS have chocolate don't they? Just realized how long its been since I had either of those. Maybe a side by side with KBS would be fun

 

Hmm might have to check bevmo, I haven't seen any ballast point in ages (2020 time so it's probably been literal weeks)

 

The number on the package is the date of the year...so talk to google and u will have ur date made...also 1 is California and 2 is Chicago EX. 2 135 Chicago May 13

 

I also like what Beachwood, AleSmith and Modern Times brews across many styles in CA, though concede these are not national brands. Perhaps Deschutes should be considered, I've only had a few so can't judge.

I think Willetized is a solid BA coffee stout option (4 for me) and a great value. I buy at least a four pack each year. There are others I like more, but like you said they have additional adjuncts, great beers but a different comparison to Willitized.

I find the non BA coffee stouts isolate the coffee later better, and while I love BA stouts, there are some non BA I prefer overall better. AleSmith and the variants (Vietnam, Thai, Hawaii, etc.) come to mind. When I was in Vegas in October, they were selling four packs of regular AleSmith pint cans for $7.99, the same price some stores sell single cans here. That about checking bags and flying home with beer for the first time, but didn’t want to deal with the hassle.

Prairie Coffee Deconstructed, Fremont Coffee Dark Star, Revolution Cafe Deth and Suppermassive Deth are a few additional BA Coffee Stouts you may like, I know I do.

Thanks, the next digit is the last digit of the year, believe time and it batch also follow. It’s hard to find / read on the bottles and at times boxes, so I just pass and buy from a brewer that has a clear easy to read label. Trumer Pills is a good beer, but they don’t date their boxes so pass on 12 packs I would buy if I knew they were fresh.

In the case of Lagunitas, it is intentional. Perhaps Tony can find a better distributor in Chicago, because Reyes isn’t proactive swapping out old beer (180+ days), at least here.

https://www.mensjournal.com/food-dr...onsumers-deserve-clear-bottle-dating-w450799/

“It’s a tool for the brewery and our distributors,” Lagunitas founder Tony Magee says.

“We see freshness as an important business between us and our distributors,” Magee says. “It’s not really a consumer thing. The consumer should expect that the beer we’re delivering should be fresh.”

 

Please bring back Night Time for a short run.

 

Oh ya that's a good call, they definitely keep some malty stuff in rotation.